Chapter 229 Han Xiang is gone
Wang Anshi used to think that laziness was the nature of the southern barbarians, but now he finally understood that the hot weather was the reason why the southern barbarians were unwilling to work.
On such a hot day, the air is extremely humid and I sweat profusely even just lying down, let alone working.
He finished sucking the sweet water from the coconut, sighed, stood up, and said, "Prepare the banana leaf umbrella while I go visit Prime Minister Han."
The clerk next to him nodded, bowed, and retreated to make preparations.
Half an hour later, Wang Anshi appeared in front of a two-story building with a wooden structure, but the roof and walls were made of thatched grass.
Wang Anshi walked around from the shade of the trees to the front of the building. He no longer wanted to bask in the sunshine of Qiongzhou.
It's spicy and poisonous. People will feel very uncomfortable if they are exposed to the sun for too long.
In contrast, the local natives don't care much about it as they have become accustomed to it.
When he walked to the door, he saw Han Xiang's housekeeper decocting medicine in the room.
The weather was already hot, and with the fire lit, the room felt like a steamer.
Suddenly Wang Anshi didn't want to go in anymore. He subconsciously touched his face, which was covered in sweat, and his neck was sticky and uncomfortable.
But he hesitated for a moment, and could only endure the heat and go into the room, clasping his fists slightly and saying, "Student Wang Anshi wants to see Prime Minister Han. May I ask if Prime Minister Han is available to see guests now?"
He was younger than Han Qi and his official position was much lower than Han Qi's, so naturally he had to be addressed as student.
The housekeeper was a middle-aged man, his clothes were soaked, and he was fanning the small stove. When he heard Wang Anshi's voice, he turned around, clasped his fists, and said, "Wang Junshou, my master is lying on the second floor, and he is sleeping."
"How is Prime Minister Han's health?" Wang Anshi asked.
The middle-aged housekeeper looked gloomy and shook his head slightly: "The master is sometimes awake and sometimes asleep, and he keeps talking in his sleep all day long. We have changed three local witch doctors, but none of them can make him better."
"Speaking of witch doctors..." Wang Anshi's eyes moved slightly: "It would be great if Lu Tianzhang was here."
The middle-aged housekeeper showed some hatred: "He will not save the master even if he is here. A few months ago, he was the one who instigated Bao Heitan to attack my master. I don't know how the master offended him that he would do such a cruel thing."
Wang Anshi did not respond. The other party was just a middle-aged housekeeper. Discussing political affairs with him would be tantamount to lowering his status.
What's more, Wang Anshi knew very well why Lu Sen brought the two of them to Qiongzhou.
He could understand Lu Sen's actions, but that didn't mean he didn't feel hatred or anger.
The government doesn't hold us accountable, so why are you, an outsider, getting involved?
This is probably Wang Anshi’s current view of Lu Sen.
Since Han Xiang was asleep, Wang Anshi did not want to disturb him. Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone talking on the second floor. The voice was calm and steady: "People with talent and virtue should be careful with their words. Master Lu is a person from the outside world, has supernatural powers, and is an official appointed by the court. You cannot discuss his affairs."
The sound insulation of this two-story building is not very good, and people talking below can hear what is happening above.
The middle-aged housekeeper was overjoyed: "Master, are you awake?"
"Well, is this Jiefu? Please come up and have a chat!"
Wang Anshi straightened his clothes and went upstairs with his head held high.
I saw a short, dark local woman coming down the stairs holding a bunch of wet clothes, and then I smelled a strange odor.
It's like a mixture of the smell of grains and the sour taste of sweat.
Wang Anshi subconsciously held his breath. He walked to the largest door, pushed it open gently, and saw Han Qi sitting on the bed.
The other person was dressed in white, which seemed to have just been changed. Although there was still a little sweat on his forehead, his eyes were bright, his cheeks were slightly red, and he looked in very good spirits.
"Prime Minister Han, are you feeling better?" Wang Anshi was overjoyed.
He is really happy.
Before, he was the only person from the Central Plains in Qiongzhou , and now Han Qi has come.
The two of them can huddle together for warmth here, and occasionally talk about love and current affairs to avoid being too lonely.
So he sincerely hoped that Han Qi could recover.
Han Qi smiled. He became thinner and paler, but he still had the aura of a high-ranking official and a famous scholar. "Jiefu, I heard that you often come to see me recently. Unfortunately, I am always asleep and awake, so I can't entertain you. Please forgive me."
"No, it's just that I haven't been able to help Han Xiang all this time, and I feel really bad about it."
Han Qi looked Wang Anshi up and down and said with a smile, "When Jiefu came to Beijing to serve as an official, I was sent out as a local official. I heard that Jiefu became famous at a young age, was extremely talented, and was arrogant and seldom convinced others. After meeting him today, I feel that the rumors are indeed unbelievable. Jiefu is obviously well-mannered and reasonable, how could he have such a reputation?"
Hearing this, Wang Anshi was embarrassed.
When he was in Bianliang, he was indeed arrogant. Except for a few important ministers, he really looked down on other people.
But now, he has been demoted and then exiled to Qiongzhou. He has seen a lot along the way and his edges have been smoothed out a little.
Han Qi saw Wang Anshi's expression and smiled again, with a calm tone: "You and I are now in the same boat. Master Lu doesn't like us. I wonder what Jiefu thinks of Master Lu?"
Wang Anshi frowned slightly, not knowing how to answer.
Hate... Of course there is, a lot of it.
But the subtle thing is that Wang Anshi did not hate Lu Sen.
Even when he was demoted to Qiongzhou, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.
More than a year ago, when he was building the city in Xingqing Prefecture, he couldn't sleep well every day. Every day when he went to sleep, he could always see groups of soldiers with broken limbs and disemboweled stomachs, standing on the other side of the Red River, silently looking at him.
I woke up five or six times throughout the night.
But now, he can sleep till dawn.
Looking at Wang Anshi, whose expression was ambiguous, Han Qi sighed and said, "After Bao Zheng reported me, the situation was hopeless, so I asked my disciples to collect information and news about Master Lu. On this journey south, I have been thinking about one question: why did Master Lu have to make things difficult for the two of us?"
Wang Anshi remained silent.
Han Qi did not expect him to answer, but paused for a moment and said slowly: "But now I understand, it is because we did something wrong, Master Lu felt that the way of heaven was unfair, so he brought us here."
Wang Anshi looked at Han Qi in surprise, with some disbelief in his eyes.
"Look at me like this. Although I, Han, do not do things in a very authentic way, I still know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, decades of reading would have been in vain." Han Qi moved his body and continued with a smile: "It's just that our Song Dynasty is not like the previous dynasties. Since Emperor Taizong, the literati and the emperor have been sharing the country. It can be said to be the first in the world, but the root of it is nothing more than respecting culture and suppressing military power. I am afraid that the emperor's robe will be worn again."
Wang Anshi nodded.
This matter is generally not something that can be discussed casually, but this is Qiongzhou, where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Whether they can return to the Central Plains alive is still a question. No one will pursue the matter if a few inappropriate words are said.
"All the officials in the court can see clearly, no matter they are civil officials or military officials." Han Qi chuckled, as if he was mocking her. "I, Han Qi, am indeed not doing things right, but so what. Ever since Emperor Taizong, the Zhao family has been very protective of scholars like us. From the beginning of the dynasty to this moment, there has never been any act of slaughtering officials. If it were another dynasty, we would probably have been executed along with our entire clans for what we did, but we would not have survived exile."
Wang Anshi was embarrassed.
He looked at Han Qi with a worried face, not knowing how to respond.
Han Qi continued, "The Zhao family has shown such great love to scholars like us, so we should repay them with our lives. Do you really think I don't know that General Di has made great contributions? Do you really not know that I did something wrong in the Battle of Haoshuichuan? In fact, I know everything. But I am a civil official, so I have to eliminate all factors that are not conducive to the court. If we win the Battle of Haoshuichuan, General Di's reputation will surely soar, which is not good for the stability of the court. So I killed his confidants and ruined his reputation, both for the court and to protect him in disguise."
Wang Anshi sat down, looked at Han Qi, and asked, "According to this statement... Minister Han doesn't hate Master Lu?"
"I don't hate him!" Han Qi laughed and said, "From a personal point of view, I would like to eat his flesh alive, but from a business point of view, I admire Xiren and him."
Wang Anshi sighed. His "feelings" towards Lu Sen were actually similar to those of Han Qi.
"I guess I'll spend the rest of my life in Qiongzhou." Han Qi looked at the blue sky outside the window and said slowly, "But Jiefu, you can still go back. If you go back one day, please take care of my family for me."
Han Qi was demoted to Qiongzhou and set off with only a few servants.
The whole family stayed in their hometown.
Wang Anshi chuckled and said, "There is still a long way to go. Why does Prime Minister Han have to say such discouraging words?"
"That's right." Han Qi said with a smile: "No matter what, if Tian Jiefu returns to Bianjing to serve as an official, remember not to conflict with Master Lu."
“Why!”
"The only true immortal in the world has his own purple aura to protect him. How can mortals like us fight him?"
Wang Anshi said nothing, but he was extremely dissatisfied.
Why can't I fight him?
After that, the two chatted for a while, and Han Qi suddenly said, "Jiefu, I'm a little tired and want to sleep for a while. Please go ahead."
Wang Anshi stood up and clasped his hands to say goodbye.
When he came downstairs, Wang Anshi saw that the housekeeper had already boiled the medicine and was excitedly bringing it upstairs.
When the housekeeper saw Wang Anshi, he smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, you are leaving so soon. Why don't you chat with my master for a while?"
"Han Xiang said he was a little tired."
"Oh, then I have to bring the medicine to the master quickly." After saying this, the middle-aged butler smiled embarrassedly and hurried upstairs with the medicine.
Wang Anshi also felt much better. He went outside. The sun was still scorching, but he did not feel as uncomfortable as before.
After walking for about two incense sticks of time, he returned to his home.
It is also a two-story wooden-frame thatched building, but it has an extra fence and a yard.
And they moved several tall trees into the yard to cover the entire house.
After returning home, I felt much cooler.
As soon as he entered the house, his wife, Mrs. Wu, came up with a bowl of soup and said with a smile, "Sir, this is a local recipe. I begged the old doctor for a long time before I got it. It uses raw coconut water as the base, and is mixed with a few herbal herbs. Drinking it can help you get rid of the heat."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Wang Anshi took the bowl and drank it all.
The taste is sweet and sour, really good.
Wang Anshi's wife, Wu, was his cousin. Originally, when Wang Anshi was demoted to Qiongzhou, he only planned to take a few servants with him, but his wife insisted on going with him, saying that husband and wife are one, and should share weal and woe, and she also brought their son, Wang Pang, with her.
His wife was in poor health, but fortunately they had stored half a bottle of honey given by Lu Yang. Before they first came to Qiongzhou, his wife Wu could not hold out either. Like Han Qi, she almost lay in bed every day and only managed to get through it by relying on honey.
But now the honey has been used up, otherwise he would definitely use it on Han Qi.
Wu took the bowl from Wang Anshi and asked, "I heard that you went to Prime Minister Han's house. How is he doing?"
"He has just woken up and looks quite energetic. He must have made it through."
"That's good. Han Xiang survived, and we now have a neighbor we can talk to." Wu smiled and said, "Although Han Xiang was demoted, he has many followers in the capital. If Tianguan is reinstated, I think he will help you out based on our friendship ."
Wang Anshi shook his head and said, "I, Wang, got the position based on my own ability, not on anyone else's."
"I know that your talent is unmatched." Wu helped Wang Anshi brush off the dust on his body. "More friends mean more opportunities. Your Excellency has ambitions in his heart. If someone helps him, won't it be realized faster?"
Wang Anshi shook his head helplessly: "You, woman, are even more obsessed with power than I am."
He was joking, of course.
Wang Anshi and his cousin grew up together, so they were close relatives. The relationship between them was not comparable to that of ordinary couples.
Mrs. Wu smiled and didn't take it seriously.
At this time, a little boy ran over from the backyard. When he saw Wang Anshi, his eyes lit up. He ran over, bowed politely, and said in a baby voice, "Sir, I have memorized the Thousand Character Classic backwards. Do you want a reward?"
"Really?" Wang Anshi asked with a smile.
"I wouldn't dare lie to adults." The little boy smiled somewhat smugly.
This child was Wang Anshi's son Wang Rong, who was extremely talented and quick-witted.
Not only did he have excellent handwriting, but he also had a photographic memory.
"Then I will teach you to read Historical Records after dinner, okay?"
Wang Rong was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, sir."
Mrs. Wu said helplessly, "Pang'er, don't be so serious. You look like an old man. Why don't you just call me daddy?"
"Not good!" Wang Rong raised his little face high and said proudly, "Sir is a respectful title, Daddy seems frivolous."
Wang Anshi also laughed.
Then he went back to his room, sat down and rested for a while, and then was called by his wife to have dinner.
Evening is also the only time when Wang Anshi can eat more because it is cooler at this time.
Wu quickly finished her meal and then lit the insect repellent grass .
If you order more slowly, when it gets dark, mosquitoes will fly over everywhere. You won't be able to sleep, and you'll be lucky if you're not bitten to death.
Wang Anshi put down his bowl and was about to walk around the yard to digest his food, when suddenly a petty official rushed in, panting and saying, "Governor, something terrible has happened."
Wang Anshi asked in confusion: "Why are you so panicked?"
"Han Xiang is gone."
What!
Wang Anshi was horrified: "This is impossible. Two hours ago, Han Xiang was still fine and even showed signs of improvement! How could he suddenly be gone? You are not lying to me!"
